Chapter 44: The Battle of Drifting Snow (Part 2)

  The golden figure trembled all over when he heard the incantation of Piaoyu Daozun, and the light emanating from his hand dimmed slightly. In a low voice, he said, "Look at the Fa treasure, tie the Xian rope." A white light flashed, and an extremely fine, silken thread-like white light came from a strange angle to bind Piaoyu Daozun, but all of this was in vain.

  Piaoyu Daozun let out a cold laugh, and with a flash of electricity in his palm, a thunderous explosion shook the air. A blue light column burst forth from within the purple lightning's wrapping, shooting towards that golden figure. This lightning contained immense suction power, not only deflecting those golden rod silhouettes but also drawing in that white silk thread to one side. The lightning itself then directly struck its target. Thunder magic was Piaoyu Daozun's forte.

  The golden light converged, and the figure of the Golden Body appeared, revealing his appearance. The Floating Void Daoist was stunned, completely stunned. In her heart, she secretly thought: How could it be him? No, no way! Suddenly, she realized that her Thunder Method was still heading towards the opponent, but even with her cultivation, it was too late to stop now. This person who had been exchanging blows with the Floating Void Daoist for several rounds was actually Hailong. He came to the Floating Void Peak just to tell the Floating Void Daoist that he was safe, but as soon as he arrived, he encountered an attack. Under the influence of his stubbornness in his heart, he decided to try and see how much difference there was between him and the Floating Void Daoist, so he used his divine power to conceal his body and not reveal his true form. In the brief exchange of blows, he had already used up all his strength, and the Thousand Jin Rod had displayed its maximum power. However, Hailong's heart had sunk to the bottom of the valley. His proud Thousand Jin Rod Method had no effect on the Floating Void Daoist at all, and instead, it left him severely injured. When using the third style of the Thousand Jin Rod Method, "Inverted Old Jun Furnace", Hailong's divine power within his body was almost depleted, which is why he revealed his true form. As the thunder light approached, he had no ability to resist at all and could only raise his right arm in a futile attempt to block the thunder light.

  "Don't!" Dao Zun shouted in despair. She felt a wave of dizziness before her eyes, and she knew her own strength best. In her already injured state, it was impossible for Hailong to withstand this lightning attack. Just as all hope seemed lost, a sudden change occurred. As the lightning was about to engulf Hailong's body, a purple glow suddenly burst forth, accompanied by a distant and majestic dragon roar. A circle of purple light surrounded Hailong's body, forcefully blocking the lightning's attack. Hailong's entire body shook violently as the purple light gradually cleared up, revealing a gigantic purple dragon over ten meters long. After withstanding the lightning attack, it seemed as if nothing had happened to it at all - the purple glow remained vibrant. With a flick of its body, it placed Hailong on its back. The dragon's scales, five massive claws, and two giant horns on its head all exuded an aura that left one in awe. Unlike the illusory dragon that resembled smoke earlier, this was truly a gigantic dragon - the kind only found in legends!

  A warm, soothing sensation spread from his right arm, and the damaged meridians within him seemed to recover a bit. As he gazed at the massive dragon beneath him that appeared to be unconscious, an unusual feeling arose in his heart. Clearly, with his current abilities, he couldn't control this giant dragon yet. However, when danger struck, it was this very dragon that saved his life.

  As the sense of crisis dissipated, Hailong felt a warmth in his right arm, and the purple giant dragon reappeared on his arm. The night sky in front of Piaomiao Peak returned to silence. Hailong barely balanced his body in mid-air with his exhausted spiritual power. The Thousand Jin Stick in his hand dimmed its light and transformed back into a small iron rod. On his chest, there was a patch of blood on the collar of his clothes.

  "Is it you? Hailong, is it really you?"

  "Hai Long said faintly, 'Not bad, it's me. I'm really sorry to disturb you again, Master Huanxiao. I just came to tell you that I've returned, but I'll be leaving again soon.' The master's cultivation was indeed profound, and the disciple humbly admitted defeat. 'Master, take care of yourself, I bid farewell,' he said, using his remaining strength to summon the Seven Repair Sword, which had long been repaired, and prepared to fly back to Moyun Peak."

  Hai Long only felt a flash before his eyes, and suddenly the mysterious Daoist appeared in front of him. Two lines of clear tears flowed down, gazing at Hai Long with a hint of resentment, saying: "You're leaving just like that?"

  "Hai Long lowered his head and said: 'Then what else do you want me to do? You are the ancestor, I am just a disciple.'"

  Piaoyu Daozun bit her lower lip and said softly, "Follow me." Without waiting for Hailong's response, she used her own magic to bind his body and urged the blue-green spiritual cloud under her feet to carry him back to Piaoyu Peak. Hailong did not resist, not only because he couldn't, but also because he didn't want to. He too felt that although Piaoyu Daozun no longer had her former smile, she seemed more humanized now. Not at all like what a mid-stage cultivator should look like. He also wanted to see what Piaoyu Daozun was going to say.

  As he stepped onto the Floating Peak, Haicheng saw a small wooden hut. The hut was simple and unadorned, surrounded by a crude fence. However, outside the fence, there was a layer of pale blue transparent prohibition that was visible to the naked eye. As Haicheng landed outside the prohibition, the Floating Master turned around and looked at him with a gentle gaze, saying: "Do you know? For over 3,000 years, since I took charge of this Floating Peak, you are the first guest." With a wave of her slender hand, the blue light weakened, and a doorway appeared on the prohibition. Under the guidance of the Floating Master, Haicheng unconsciously walked into this mysterious prohibited space. As a human being, Haicheng also had a sense of vanity, thinking to himself: The first guest? What's going on with the Floating Master? Could it be that...

  He opened the wicker gate and made a welcoming gesture with his hand, saying: "Please come in, young master."

  Hailong was taken aback and asked uncertainly: "Younger brother?"

  With a gentle smile, he nodded and said: "Yes! You have also broken through the Unfallen Boundary, becoming a new Dao Lord. Naturally, you are now my junior brother. Welcome to join the ranks of the second generation disciples, Hai Long Dao Lord."

  Hailong suddenly came to his senses, and for some reason, after entering this forbidden area, his heart seemed to be firmly tied up by the elusive Daoist master. His usual cleverness had all disappeared, and he let out a light sigh, saying: "What's the point of breaking through the Unfallen Boundary? You're still not my opponent. I'm afraid that no matter what, I'll never be able to catch up to you."

  He shook his head, walked up to the Sea Dragon's front, looked at this majestic man who was half a head taller than himself, and smiled: "No, your strength is beyond anyone's expectation. Now, if you have the ability to control that purple giant dragon-like treasure to attack me, you may not lose. In fact, after passing the Unfallen Realm, high-level treasures often become the key to victory. Judging from your performance just now, you have at least mid-Dao period attacking power, but your cultivation is only early Unfallen, which proves that you are very effective in applying treasures. Maybe before I pass my tribulation, you can catch up with my cultivation, who knows? Don't forget, I've been cultivating for over 2,000 years more than you! That's a very, very long time."

  A cold light flashed in the dragon's eyes, and he said, "If you're trying to encourage me, that's not necessary. I've always had absolute confidence in myself; all I need is enough time, and I will..."

  Piaoyu suddenly stretched out her hand to press against Hailong's lips, not letting him continue speaking. Their fingers touched, and both Hailong and Piaoyu felt a sudden jolt, as if an electric current had passed through their hearts. They were both at the Ren Dan boundary, although Piaoyu's cultivation was much deeper, but she and Hailong were the same, the Ren Dan in their Ling Tai couldn't help but violently jump up, as if it was about to burst out of their bodies.

  His whole body felt a surge of heat, and he was astonished to see that the ethereal beauty's face, which had seemed as untouchable as smoke and fire from the mortal world, now flushed with two bright red spots, making her look even more captivating, like a newlywed bride. The ethereal being took a deep breath, gave Haichuan a stern glance, and said, "Don't speak rashly here. Remember that each of the 72 peaks of Lianyun is a bridge to the immortal realm; any slight disturbance will stir up unnecessary trouble. Follow me." With that, she led Haichuan into a small wooden hut surrounded by a bamboo fence with her delicate, boneless hand.

  Hailong still hasn't woken up from the shock, and now the ethereal Daozun is completely different from before. How could she have been so intimate with him in the past? Now she's taking his hand and pressing her lips against his, which clearly has a deep meaning. The words he said to Hongzhi earlier had long since disappeared into thin air - what about not involving emotions again? Faced with this situation now, even the stupidest person wouldn't be able to resist the charms of such an unparalleled beauty like Daozun.

  For Hailong, his first love gave him endless bitterness, but it was also the deepest memory and the most yearning for. At this time, he was like an ordinary man who had never seen the world, nervous in front of Piaoyue, not knowing what to say, and could only let her manipulate him.

  The wooden house was indeed very small, only about thirteen or fourteen square meters in size. A green gemstone hung from the roof, emitting a soft glow. The surroundings were simply decorated with just one table, one chair, and one bed. With just these few pieces of furniture, the entire space already felt somewhat cramped. Lingyu gently pushed Hailong into the only chair, while she herself sat down on the bed beside it. Her gaze at Hailong was filled with a mix of confusion and melancholy.

  Lost the fleeting small hand, Hailong obviously felt a bit uncomfortable, and a sense of loss rose. The soft grip was really too comfortable, and Hailong wondered if he would not even wash his hands after returning.

  "Where have you been for these hundreds of years? Can you tell me? What about Tianqin? Wasn't she with you?"

  The dragon king raised his head and said, "I don't want to talk about this. Ancestor Xuanxu, I can only tell you that Tianqin and I have never been together all these years. I've been secretly cultivating myself. In the past, both Tianqin and I were harmed by someone. However, I will take revenge on my own and won't implicate Lianyun Sect."

  She gave the sea dragon a deep look and said, "If you don't want to say it, then forget it. As long as you return safely, that's all that matters. I've already said it, now you're also a second-generation disciple, so from now on, don't call me Ancestor Master, just call my name directly. Do you still remember it?" As she spoke, she stretched out her own feet, and a faint aura of immortal spirit emanated from the familiar boots, which the sea dragon saw clearly. A patch of snow-white skin was exposed on her calf, causing his heart to heat up, and he almost bled from his nose. His whole body trembled slightly as he bitterly smiled and said, "Of course I remember, these are the Five Elements Maze Boots that I gave you for the Newcomer's Grand Tournament in that realm. To get that championship, I spent a lot of effort."

  "It's true! It's the Five Elements Evading Boots. Since you disappeared, I've been wearing them on my feet all along. The biggest feature of this magical artifact is that it can help its owner evade a certain degree of Daoist attacks. It's a very useful artifact, and just now, I relied on its power to dodge your first wave of attack. Hailong, do you still hate me?"

  "Hate? I've never hated you." He smiled self-deprecatingly and continued, "You've only shown me kindness, why would I hate you. However, the favor you showed me has been repaid, neither of us owes the other anything."

  She lowered her head, saying with a hint of resentment: "You still say you don't hate me? You're rejecting me like this, isn't it just because I rejected you that day. Do you know, after the New Year's Eve ended, when you forcibly removed the Inverse Heaven Mirror and spat blood, your painful expression made my heart ache so much. Don't hate me anymore, okay?"

  Hai Long shook his head and said, "There's nothing to resent. That thing happened so long ago, I've already forgotten about it. You're right, you're a high-ranking master who's close to becoming an immortal, while back then I was just a low-ranking disciple. There was indeed a huge gap between us. Later on, I came to realize that as a cultivator, pursuing great strength is what I should be doing. Dao companions, emotions... these aren't things I should be thinking about. Piao Miao, you can rest assured, I came to find you today just to tell you that I'm still alive and didn't have any other intentions, nor do I want to bring you any trouble. You are you, and I am me. Perhaps in the future, we won't have many chances to meet again. It's getting late, I should head back, or else others might find out and gossip about you. In a couple of days, I might leave with Hong Zhi to search for the Old Lord's Record. Maybe when Jie Tian Dao Zun is freed from his tribulation, I'll return." As he spoke, Hai Long stood up.

  Her eyes revealed complex emotions, and she said in a low voice: "The seal here is connected to the Xian array of Lianyun Mountain, even if it's Jie Tian Shixiong, he won't be able to hear our conversation. You don't have to worry about anything, Haichuan. Do you know? After you disappeared, I suddenly became clear-headed about many things. It was only then that I realized how ridiculous it is to cherish something after losing it. Your shadow has always lingered in my heart, and even after 300 years, it hasn't faded away. Losing you really broke my heart, and these past 300 years have been spent in a daze. After searching for you in vain, I once vowed that if you could return to me safely, I would be satisfied with everything. No matter what conditions you propose, I won't refuse again." By the last few words, she had already lowered her head, and tears flowed down, Haichuan could clearly feel that Piaoyan's heart was filled with sadness and love at this moment.